By Kristen Entwistle

I have many friends who are fitness fanatics.  They have Facebook groups and workout groups and fitness families and are committed to eating healthier, staying fit, and encouraging others to do the same.  It’s a great thing, and I’m grateful for these friends and their enthusiasm for living better physical lives.

It’s not just our physical bodies that we need to work out, though.  We need to strengthen our Spiritual lives as well.

Jesus’ proclamation of the greatest commandment that we’ve been studying this week is found in almost all of the Gospels, but the one we’ve been in is in Mark 12.  There are four parts to the greatest commandment, but the one we’re going to focus on today is the fourth: loving the Lord with all of our strength

Consider the disciples for a moment.  Matthew 4 records Jesus calling James, John, Peter, and Andrew to be His disciples.  All that the Gospel records Jesus telling them is this: “Follow me!  I will make you fishers of men.”

I don’t know about you, but when Jesus called me to follow Him, and pretty much every day since, I’ve questioned His plan.  I’ve said, “Wait a minute, God.  Do you really mean for me to do that?  Are you sure you don’t mean this instead?”  If I had been even just a fly on the wall on those boats with Peter, James, John and Andrew, I think I would have had a few questions before I just up and left my nets, my boat, and my dad.  Oh, and my job, my way to live, the only thing I’d really ever known – to follow this guy who was just starting His ministry.

The disciples left everything they had, everything they knew, to follow Christ.  And the Gospels record no hesitation on their part.  No questions.  Just obedience.  I’d like to suggest that this action by the disciples, of giving up everything they had, knew and wanted to follow Christ is the best example of loving the Lord with all of our strength.  The disciples’ strength was what they knew, what they were good at: for Peter, Andrew, James, and John, it was fishing.  They turned their talents from fishing for fish, to fishing for men.  They gave Christ everything they had.  But they didn’t turn from fishing for fish to fishing for men overnight.  They had to learn how to do it, to walk with Christ along the dusty road, see Him heal people and teach and turn over tables in the Temple and feed five thousand people with just a few loaves and fish.  They had to exercise and learn their strength in order to love God with all of their strength.

It’s not necessarily about what you bring to the table, what you’re good at, or what your job is.  Those may be part of your strength, but there’s more to it than that.  You’ve got to walk with Christ and let Him teach you, help you to build up your strength so that you can love Him with it, serve Him with it.

Think of it like my fitness friends think about staying in shape – you have to keep at it, do it day after day.  You have to go to the gym in order to build up those muscles.  If you’re going to run a marathon, you have to train.

If you’re going to love the Lord with all of your strength, you’ve got to build up that strength.  So read the Word of God, study it, memorize it, let it permeate your speech and your actions.  Pray unceasingly.  Give thanks.  Put on the armor of God every morning.

And with His strength, you will be able to love the Lord with all of your strength. 

Be sure to check out the Study Resources tab for all of this week’s Bible study materials including the video and discussion questions!